Before You Begin
Purpose of document
The process of cloning a WebSphere Portal environment means to make an exact copy of your current configuration, and deploy it to another system. This can save you time from having to reconfigure databases, security or redeploy any custom ...

This document will give you a step-by-step procedure to create a single repository for WebSphere Portal v8 using the IBM Packaging Utility. In this document, we will combine Portal v8001, WAS v8005, and IHS v8000 into a single repository.

Before You Begin

IBM Packaging Utility is a tool that allows the user to create custom repositories for use with IBM Installation Manager. If you have several packages to install across multiple environments, it might be useful for you to create a single repository for all of the packages. In this guide, we will be creating a repository that contains the following packages:

I have extracted all parts into the following directory structure in my /opt/media directory:

Space Requirements: If you download these packages, you will need approximately 18 GB of space for the packages listed above. You will need an additional 11 GB of space for the new repository that we will create with the IBM Packaging Utility.

Install IBM Packaging Utility

In this section, we will install the IBM Packaging Utility. The IBM Packaging Utility repository is provided with the WebSphere Portal v8.0.0.0 base packages, in the Setup/IBMPU directory.

Launch IIM and go to File -- Preferences -- Repositories

Add the repository for PU, then click OK. In my example, it is /opt/media/Setup/IBMPU/repository.config

Click OK to exit the Preferences.

On the IBM Installation Manager Launch screen, click Install

Select the IBM Packaging Utility package and click Next

Accept License and click Next

Select 'Create a new package group', set a path name, and click Next. This Path name will be known as <PU_root>.

Add any additional languages if desired, and click Next

Click Next on the Features screen

Click Install

After Installation completes, exit IBM Installation Manager.

Create Custom Repository

In this section, we will use the IBM Packaging Utility to create a single repository that contains packages for WebSphere Portal, WebSphere Application Server, and IHS.

Launch the IBM Packaging Utility by navigating to the <PU_root> directory and executing the following command:

Windows: IBMPU.exeLinux/UNIX: ./IBMPU

Click 'Copy Packages'

Click 'Open Repository'

Add the Portal v8000 base and WAS 8003 repository. This is <Setup dir>/eimage/repository.config file. In my case, the path is:

/opt/media/Portal8000_WAS8003/Setup/eimage/repository.config

Click 'Open Repository' and add the WAS v8005 fixpack repository. This is the <WAS 8005>/repository.config file. In my case, the path is:

/opt/media/WAS8005/repository.config

Click 'Open Repository' and add the Portal 8001 Server repository. This is the <Portal 8001>/Server/repository.config file. In my case, the path is:

/opt/media/Portal8001/Server/repository.config

If you have an Offering for Portal other than Server (such as Enable, Extend, WCM, or WSE), then click 'Open Repository' and add the Portal 8001 <Offering> repository. In my case, I am using Portal Extend, so my path is:
/opt/media/Portal8001/Extend/repository.config

Click 'Open Repository and add the IHS repository. This is the <IHS>/repository.config file. In my case, the path is:

/opt/media/IHS/repository.config

If you have any other repositories you would like to add, do so at this time. For this guide, we are through adding repositories.

Check the boxes for all repositories.

IMPORTANT: For WAS fixpacks, like the 8005 fixpack in this example, expand it and ensure you only check the 'IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment' package. You may see a warning when doing so, but this can be ignored.

Click Next.

Accept the License and click Next.

Set a path on the system. This is where the new repository will be created. In my case, I created a directory at /opt/PU/Portal8001_WAS8005_IHS. Click Next.

Click 'Copy' to create the new repository.

After the process completes, you can view your new repository in the directory specified previously.

Optional. If you need an installer for IBM Installation Manager, you can copy the <Portal v8000 base>/Setup/IIM directory into your new repository. This will give your users quick access to the IBM Installation Manager installer if needed. To save space with this, you can remove the <os_type> directories in the Setup/IIM directory that do not apply to your environments.

At this point, you have completed creating a new repository. You can zip/tar it up and move it to any location you desire.

Installing Packages from the new repository

This section assumes you already have IBM Installation Manager installed on the target server. If you do not, then please do so now.

Launch IBM Installation Manager by running the following command from the <IIM root>/eclipse directory:

Windows: IBMIM.exeLinux/UNIX: ./IBMIM

Go to File -- Repositories and add the repository.config file from your new repository. In my case, it is this path:

/opt/media/Portal8001_WAS8005_IHS/repository.config

Click Install

In the Packages screen, you should see all of the packages we added to our repository

IMPORTANT: You can also package WebSphere Portal Cumulative Fixes into your repository as well if you'd like. However, at the time of this writing, you cannot install WebSphere Portal Cumulative Fixes at the same time you install the base product, so I have left those out for this document. If you do have cumulative fixes included, you will see them listed here, however you must install them after you install the base Portal.

Select whatever packages you would like to install and proceed through the remainder of the screens.